Avenging Angel
by Leslie Emm
Summary: In response to Smuffly's prank challenge - Guys vs Girls. M for language. Set from around series 3 to series 5.
1. Chapter 1

Avenging Angel

_This is inspired by a line from Sid Hammerback in the episode at the end of series 5 where the team are drinking a toast to Jessica Angell in 'Pay up'. He says something to the effect of them playing a joke on her the first time she goes into autopsy. This is where my challenge starts, with my take on that incident and what follows. _

...

Jessica Angell eyed her partner as he cut the call.

"Sid has somethin' for us at autopsy" Don Flack announced.

"A dead body?" she asked him with a sly smile.

"Don't give up the day job Angell" he replied with no trace of humour "You're a better detective than you are comedian"

"Could say the same about you" she muttered, but shakes her head when he looks at her with a question on his face.

She pretends she doesn't see the sideways glance with a grin playing about his face as he starts the car and drives off.

That's the thing with Flack, she thought. You never knew when he was being serious or not. They got on well, often laughed in the course of their day. She enjoyed the security of a partner she could trust 100% and she knew he had her back, in the face of anything. He believed in showing a united front. That's not to say they didn't disagree, because they did. Never in front of suspects or perps, but later, in the bull pen, or more likely, in the car. They'd snark at each other before one or the other would finally snap and spill out the problem, or demand to know what the problem was, then it was usually sorted pretty quickly. She also had to admit a latent attraction to him. Well, she was only human, and the guy was attractive.

She followed him into the autopsy suite. She'd been in one before, a few times, but this one was different, brought to life by the eccentric ME that presided over it. Some of 'the team' were present. That was another thing, though not officially assigned to each other, these guys had worked together a while, and though she knew them, she still felt a little like the outsider.

They gathered around a table, the dead body they'd been called to before them and Jessica bowed her head slightly. She'd been taught respect for the dead, no matter what.

Just as the Dr started to speak, Flack fished his bleeping phone from his pocket, read a message and put it back with a grim expression.

"Something wrong?" Jessica asked him, but he merely shook his head and turned back to Sid, giving him his full attention.

Sid started to talk, and she wondered at the way he's so interested in the _inside_ of this poor person.

"A violent man" Sid says reverently "He has many older and some newer injuries common in fist fighting..."

Jessica doesn't hear the rest, the sheet that covers the body behind the ME is moving, or she _thinks_ it is. She gasps and Flack directs her an irritated look. She purses her lips and decides no more coffee today.

As Sid carries on, Angell keeps glancing at the covered body opposite her. Flack and Hawkes are standing either side of her, and apart from Hawkes coughing several times and shifting restlessly, neither of them notice that the table the body is on is now _rocking_. She casts a look at Mac Taylor, the big boss man of the crime lab, and about the most observant man there is, and there's no reaction. Just a face very similar to Flack's, poised with interest to learn what they can about their killer.

Angell decides she must be going nuts. Maybe the combination of trying to keep up with Flack and his ability to sink twenty plus cups of coffee in a 24 hour period, without sleep or after effects, and still have his brain function, is not working for her. She blinks several times and opens her eyes wide, but the table still rocks.

She takes a sudden step back and reaches automatically for her holster as the sheet begins to rise with a low moan. She quickly realises that there is still no reaction from the others present. Flack turns and places a hand over hers, to prevent her drawing her gun, and looking up she can see intense amusement in his face as he smirks and then laughs outright.

Instantly she knows she's been had. And is furious with herself for falling for such a clichéd trick. Five brothers, and a bunch of cops manage to scare her out of her wits with something so simple?!

"You bastard" she hisses at Flack and shoves him, making him laugh even more.

The sheet finally falls from the animated 'corpse' to reveal Danny Messer, hands outstretched like a Zombie towards her.

"Aaah Detective Angell..." he says in a low and moany voice, not out of place on a hammer horror movie set "We have now initiated you..."

"Funny" she replied, breathless "All of you, _real_ funny"

Danny drops his arms and laughs "The lady is _not_ amused"

"Shut up Messer" Angell laughs, seeing the funny side after the shock has worn off.

"Got ya a good one there Angell!" he crows as he jumps down.

"Now children" Mac intones, he's allowed it far enough he judges "Enough with the juvenile games, let's get on with what we're here for please"

Smiles are repressed and attention turns back to DR Hammerback and the real body before them. But Jessica Angell doesn't forget, her mind is already working.

"I _will_ get you back" she tells Flack as they leave "All of you"

"Even Mac?" he asks with a grin.

"Even Mac" she confirms.

"Good luck" he nods.

"I don't need it" she smiles sweetly at him "And _you_ are first"

"Oh I look forward to it!" he challenges.


	2. Chapter 2

Avenging Angel – Part II

"You gettin' coffee?" Jessica Angell calls over to her partner as he sits huffing and puffing at his desk opposite her.

He gives her a measured look "It's your turn" he pointed out.

"I'm not drinking that sludge" she replied, nodding towards the coffee machine "Find your inner gentleman Flack, go get some real coffee"

"I don't _have_ an inner gentleman" he quips back "Women wanted equal opportunities, go embrace Angell"

"I would, but" she smiled back "I left my jacket in the car"

He tossed her the keys "Then get it"

"No gallantry" she shook her head at him "A lady asks you for coffee and you make her fend for herself"

"Lady?" he raised his eyebrows and gave her a smirk.

"Watch it you" she pointed at him and he laughed, turning back to the computer.

Angell left by the swing doors, she'd played it perfectly. She'd waited, her mothers advice that revenge is a dish best served cold ringing in her ears for the past 3 long weeks. She'd watched Flack check every cup of coffee she'd brought, open and inspect every sandwich, slide careful hands suspiciously into his jacket pockets, all in vain. She had never intended to be so obvious, and played a double bluff. Adding a decent helping of pepper to a sandwich on one occasion, knowing it would be immediately spotted. Now he thought they were even, was the time to _really_ get her revenge.

Heading for her own car first she retrieved a bag and headed for his. They'd need it later, to speak to some witnesses, and so she knew her timing was right on.

Grinning to herself as she headed back into the precinct she placed a coffee and his keys next to his elbow and sat down herself.

…...

Jess moved her legs to the side as Don reached over and put a hand on the catch of the glove compartment, ready to stow his wallet as he always did, safely out of his pockets when they were hunting down suspects. He caught her slight smile and paused, looking up at her and giving her what she had come to privately call 'the smirk'.

"What?" he asked, the look on his face belying the innocent tone.

"Oh, nothing" she smiled back.

While she had quite come to like the flirtation and tension between them, this time she intended to use it completely to her own advantage. She was flattered by his apparent interest in her as more than a work partner. These moments had the ability to make her flush and her heart beat a little faster, and he knew it. The only consolation usually was that she also noticed little signs from him that he was experiencing the same things. This time though, there was an added bonus.

"Right" he smirked again and opened the glove compartment.

Jess couldn't help but burst into laughter as a selection of brightly coloured streamers exploded from it, along with the squeaking noise you would associate with a jack in the box, a couple catching Don in the face. Confetti puffed over them both. He shot back, colliding with her, shock on his face.

"Shit!" he exclaimed before he could get himself under control, his heart beating wildly from the shock.

Jess laughed harder as he sat himself up straight, picking confetti from his hair and glowering at her.

"What?" she replied sweetly.

"You'll pay for that Angell" he promised "_And_ you can clean the car"

"Yeah" She shrugged "But I got ya"

Don huffed and started the car, trying to hide his smile.

"Yeah, you got me" he said, pulling out into the traffic "Enjoy the moment Jess, it will be short lived"

"That a challenge Flack?" she asked, laughing.

"You bet your ass it is" he laughed back.

"Oh bring it on!" she replied.

"You'll regret that" he gave her a quick look "What you got planned for the others?"

"Nothing" she answered him "I decided that as _you_ were probably the main instigator, you could take _all_ the rewards"

"Huh" he nodded slowly "Like that is it?"

"No" her reply shocked him "Quits?"

"How do I know I can trust you?" he teased.

"You don't" she smirked.

"Not fillin' me full a confidence here" he complained.

Jess laughed "No more OK? I promise"

"Quits" he agreed, with a small and suspicious look in her direction.

"Was funny though" she chuckled "Your face. Big tough cop scared by a few streamers"

"How long am I gonna have to listen to this?" Don deadpanned at her.

Jess shrugged and grinned and he sighed, shaking his head with a grin of his own.

…...


End file.
